The Senator Reports

August 27th, 2009

Early Release: The Wrong Choice for California
By Senator Mark Wyland (R-Carlsbad)

Last Thursday, the State Senate approved a plan that would have released 27,000 inmates back into our communities, as well as create a commission to overhaul (and I believe weaken) California’s sentencing laws. While the bill was ultimately stalled in the Assembly, the early release of dangerous criminals remains a serious threat as Legislature works to make crucial changes to our state prison system.

Releasing prisoners who are yet to serve their time places every California family at risk and should never be an option to reduce overcrowding. Placing the safety of our families in jeopardy in the name of solving our chronic budget problems is ridiculous. If we had completed the proper oversight of our corrections programs years ago, we would have been able to see this disaster coming and we wouldn’t be in this situation today, potentially harming the very people we are elected to represent.

Senator Mark Wyland represents the people of the 38th Senate District, which includes cities in north San Diego County and the south Orange County cities of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

Senator Mark Wyland
1910 Palomar Point Way, Suite 105
Carlsbad, California 92008
760.931.2455 Office
email: senator.wyland@sen.ca.gov

Early Release of Prisoners Threatens Public Safety
By Assemblyman Martin Garrick

The recently passed state budget that calls for a $1.2 billion cut to the Department of Corrections has led many to call for the early release of prisoners as a way to cut costs. Put simply, this is a dangerous idea.

Proponents of early release often claim that releasing “non-violent” offenders will not jeopardize public safety. However, the recidivism rates of these offenders prove just how dangerous they can be.

For example, according to Bureau of Justice statistics, of 9,478 auto thieves who were released, 2,512 (26.5%) of them went on to commit more serious crimes within three years. Their crimes included 152 incidents of rape, 227 homicides, and 1,526 assaults.

I believe that early release should not be a part of any plan to find savings in the corrections budget. We should focus on smarter parole policies, cutting the administration bureaucracy that has seen a 105% increase in spending since 2005 and reigning in prison health care costs that have risen nearly 71% during that same period.

Assemblyman Martin Garrick serves the communities of Carlsbad, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos, Vista, and portions of San Diego, Escondido and Oceanside as the Assemblyman for the 74th District.